At least 11 people were hurt and both directions of Highway 99 near Fresno were closed after a gas line was struck on a peace officer gun range.

At least 11 people were hurt and both directions of Highway 99 near Fresno were closed after a gas line was struck on a peace officer gun range.

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Updated: 8:23 AM PDT Apr 18, 2015

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WEBVTT MAN UNDER ARREST TONIGHT. KCRA 3 NEWS AT 10:00 STARTS RIGHT NOW. KELLIE: A FIREBALL OVER FRESNO SHUTS DOWN HIGHWAY 99 FOR HOURS. TONIGHT, WE'RE HEARING FROM PEOPLE WHO SAW AND FELT THE BLAST. IT SOUNDED LIKE A BUNCH OF JETS FLYING LOW AND I LOOKED OVER THERE AND IT'S JUST LIKE FIRE SHOOTING UP. KELLIE: MORE THAN A DOZEN PEOPLE WERE HURT, TWO OF THEM CRITICALLY. ROB: AUTHORITIES SAY A COUNTY INMATE CREW WAS WORKING ON A ROAD WHEN THEY APPARENTLY HIT AN LARGE UNDERGROUND PIPELINE. KELLIE: FROM FRESNO TONIGHT, HERE'S KCRA 3'S DAVID BIENICK WITH WITNESSES WHO SAW THE FIRE FIRST-HAND. DAVID: DRIVERS ON HIGHWAY 99 COULD HARDLY BELIEVE THEIR EYES AS THEY SAW THE FLAMES AND FELT THE HEAT. OH MY GOD. THIS IS SO HOT. DAVID: THE FLAMES SHOT MORE THAN 100 FEET INTO THE AIR ABOVE THE FRESNO COUNTY SHERIFF'S GUN RANGE. AND FOR MILES AROUND, NEIGHBORS HEARD THE BLAST. WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS. YOU SEE THE GROUND SHOOK. I CAME OUT BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS. IT SOUNDED LIKE JUST A BUNCH OF JETS FLYING REALLY LOW. AND I LOOKED OVER THERE AND IT WAS JUST FIRE SHOOTING UP. DAVID: ISIDRO ESTRADA SNAPPED A PICTURE WITH HIS CELL PHONE JUST BEFORE A POLICE OFFICER TOLD HIM AND HIS NEIGHBORS IT WAS TIME TO LEAVE. AND WHAT DID THE OFFICER SAY? THAT WE NEED TO EVACUATE PRETTY MUCH, THAT WE CAN'T STAY HERE. DAVID: THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT SAYS A COUNTY ROADS WORKER AND 13 JAIL INMATES HAD BEEN USING A FRONT-LOADER TO EXPAND A ROAD ON A TALL BERM THAT CONFINES GUNFIRE TO THE RANGE. BUT, NOTHING WAS ACTUALLY BEING DUG AT THE TIME. SO IT'S KIND OF A HEAD SCRATCHER RIGHT NOW WHAT CAUSED THIS EXPLOSION. DAVID: SIGNS SHOW WHERE THE 12-INCH DIAMETER PIPELINE RUNS ALONG THIS STRETCH OF HIGHWAY 99. THE PIPELINE BELONGS TO PG&E WHICH SENT CREWS TO SCENE. RIGHT NOW, THE FIRE IS CONTAINED AND WE'RE GOING TO MANAGE THAT UNTIL THEY GET THAT SHUT OFF. DAVID: AFTER BEING CLOSED FOR ABOUT THREE HOURS, HIGHWAY 99 RE-OPENED. BUT THE BLAST LEFT PEOPLE LIVING NEARBY RATTLED AND WITH A DRAMATIC REMINDER OF WHAT IT MEANS TO LIVE NEAR A PIPELINE. I'D BE A LIAR TO SAY I WOULDN'T BE WORRIED ABOUT IT. DAVID: IN ADDITION TO THE INMATES AND THE ROADS WORKER, TWO SHERIFF'S DEPUTIES WHO'D BEEN AT THE GUN RANGE WERE ALSO INJURED. THEY RECEIVED MINOR BURNS WHEN THEY RAN INTO THE BLAST ZONE TO PULL AWAY THE OTHERS. IN FRESNO, DAVID BIENICK, KCRA 3 NEWS. ROB: THE CALIFORNIA PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION AND THE FEDERAL PIPELINE AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SAFETY ADMINISTRATION ARE NOW INVESTIGATING THE EXPLOSION. KELLIE: PEOPLE DRIVING PAST THE EXPLOSION HAVE BEEN SENDING US SOME INCREDIBLE PICTURES SHOWING HOW BIG THIS FIREBALL WAS. WITNESSES SAY THE FLAMES SHOT WELL OVER 100 FEET INTO THE AIR, SOME PEOPLE EVEN SAYING 200 FEET OR MORE. AND HERE'S ANOTHER VIEW LOOK. ALONG WITH SHUTTING DOWN HIGHWAY 99, A NEARBY RAIL LINE HAD TO BE STOPPED OUT OF CONCERN THAT A PASSING TRAIN COULD SPARK LEAKING GAS. AND RIGHT NOW ON THE KCRA 3 MOBILE APP, YOU CAN FIND RAW VIDEO AND A SLIDESHOW OF PICTURES FROM TODAY'S GAS LINE

Gas line explosion injures at least 11 in Fresno

At least 11 people were hurt and both directions of Highway 99 near Fresno were closed after a gas line was struck on a peace officer gun range.